May is Bike to Work Month. As I was riding my bike home from work the other night, I got the idea of chronicling my commute right here on Shelf Talk. Maybe I can bike commute every single work day in May, I thought. I work at the Queen Anne Branch of The Seattle Public Library and by the time I got to Lake City that evening and was slowly pedaling my way up the hill from the Burke-Gilman trail to my home in a driving rain, I began to think twice a week for the twenty-three mile round-trip may be enough.

Whatever your commute and however many times you chose to make it in May or any other month, I highly recommend it. It energizes you at the start of your work day and relieves a lot of the stress of the day on your way home. There are other benefits, too, including lessening your carbon footprint, getting yourself in shape, cruising past traffic-jammed motorists, and possibly even communing with nature (I ride about nine miles of my commute along the Burke-Gilman trail). I’ll let you know how I’m doing right here every week or so and it’d be nice if you let me know how your commutes go as well.

If you’re looking for a good way to figure out a route to take to work, Ride The City is a good website which allows you to map out your way and even tells you how much elevation gain there will be. Here’s another important link to the Cascade Bicycle Club which is coordinating Bike to Work Month in Seattle. And if you put the words “bicycle commuting” into the search box at the top of the library’s web page, you will get 55 hits including the following books: The Bike to Work Guide and Biking to Work.

Good for you! I also bike to work daily, but it’s only a mile. A raincoat/pants/boots (and showercap under the helmet) helps a lot in the rain, and I have a baby seat outfitted with a box to carry things. However much you can manage it is great, and it sets a good example for so many people!